


Sentimental Memories

by happyanpan



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Post-Fall of Overwatch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 09:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14517687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happyanpan/pseuds/happyanpan
Summary: They were enemies now, but sometimes they allowed themselves to pretend it didn't matter.





	Sentimental Memories

Ana had been around the world and seen many of its wonders, but even to her, Oasis was a sight to see with its beautiful gardens and scientific marvels. But Ana and Jack hadn’t come to Oasis to enjoy the views. There was many secrets hidden under the picturesque surface, and as it turned out, Oasis’s supposedly infallible security was no match for two old soldiers.

Now their job in the city was done and it was time to move on. Jack had already returned to their hide-out outside the city to gather their things. Ana had told him she’d join him after buying them some tech they wouldn’t be able to get from Egypt. It wasn’t a lie, but what Jack didn’t know was that Ana hadn’t returned to the city only for shopping: Ana had a meeting to attend.

Despite being wanted in the city after getting caught by security cameras a couple of times, Ana wasn’t worried about getting caught as she made her way to one of the many public gardens – no one ever suspected a harmless old woman to be a wanted criminal.

When Ana reached the garden, it didn’t take too long for a Dobermann to come running to her. Ana smiled and kneeled to greet the dog, rubbing him behind the ears.  “Hello, Ziggy. Where’s you owner?”

Ziggy let out a bark and turned away from Ana to run to where a view to the massive artificial lake opened beyond a stone parapet. Ana stood up and followed Ziggy. Ziggy stopped where a Dobermann puppy was chewing on a ball. Ana leaned down briefly to pet Suzi before heading over to where Moira was leaning against the parapet, gazing at the view with a cigarette in hand.

“You're going to regret all that smoking when you get to my age,” Ana said as she came to stand next to Moira and leaned against the parapet as well.

Moira blew smoke out of her mouth and tapped the ashes off her cigarette before turning to look at Ana with a hint of a smile on her lips. “The time we're given is too short to be spend on regret.”

“They must've forgotten to give me that memo,” Ana said. Moira’s lack of regrets at her age would've been enviable if Ana hadn't known the things she had done. In Ana's opinion Moira could've done with some regret, but then again Ana had learned long ago that there was no changing who Moira was.

Even on the outside Moira was much the same as she had been seven years ago with only a couple of new wrinkles around the eyes. Ana doubted it was simply lucky genetics. She was well aware of Moira's history with self-experimenting.

“So, how has the honorable minister's day gone?” Ana asked.

“Quite well. I made plenty of progress with my research,” Moira said.

“What kind of research?” Ana doubted she would get an answer.

Moira took a drag on her cigarette before saying: “You wouldn't like it.”

“We’ll leave it at that then,” Ana said. In the past she wouldn't have let Moira off so easily. She would've wanted to know what Moira had done, confronted her and tried to push her to be better. It's what she should've done now considering who's payroll Moira was on these days. But these encounters were a selfish thing, and Ana hadn't come to lecture Moira. They were on the opposing side of other people’s war – Ana to protect the people she cared about, and Moira to continue her research – but at the end of the day they missed each other. It was surprisingly easy to fall back in the old routine of ignoring their differences and simply enjoying each other company.

There'd be a day when they wouldn't able to pretend things were like they used to be even for short moments such as this one, but for now they were allowing themselves to be the old foolish women who used to believe they could have a future together.

“How about you? How many laws did you break today?” Moira asked, with a hint of amusement. Moira seemed to find it endlessly funny that “the honorable captain of Overwatch” had turned to the life of crime. Admittedly this wasn't exactly how Ana hadn't imagined her retirement days either.

“I haven't kept count but several,” Ana said.

“Was it worth it?” Moira asked rather than asking for details.

“I like to think so,” Ana said. Talon had presence in Oasis beyond Moira's work and there had been lot to discover in the city's facilities.

“A successful day for both of us then,” Moira said and took one last drag on her cigarette before grinding the cigarette against the parapet's surface, leaving an ashy mark. Moira had been unconcerned about Ana and Jack's activities for the most part, only getting irritated when they had broken into the university where Moira's lab was in and stole biotic tech for Ana's rifle and grenades. “Why didn't you just ask me for that tech?” Moira had asked with little concern for the fact that at the end of the day they were supposed to be enemies. Ana wondered if Talon realized how feeble Moira's loyalty to them was.

“Seems that way,” Ana said. Moira threw her used cigarette butt to a trash can next to them before moving closer to Ana. Ana offered her hand for Moira to hold. Moira took the hand and brought it to her lips to press a kiss on Ana's knuckles, earning a fond laugh from Ana, before intertwining their fingers.

It was as hot as ever in Oasis, but Moira's hand was cold. Moira was always cold nowadays – a side effect according to Moira, but when Ana had questioned a side effect of  _what_ , Moira had said nothing. Ana wasn't planning to let go of the subject so easily – Ana hadn't liked Moira's “sacrifices” for science seven years ago and she didn't like them now – but today it would have to wait.

“I suppose Morrison has crawled back to whatever hole you two are hiding in,” Moira said.

“He doesn't exactly pass as a tourist with that mask,” Ana said. Ana doubted Jack would be recognized without the mask after so many years of being thought dead by the world, but Jack was stubborn as ever. If he thought he needed the mask, he would wear the mask wherever he went no matter what Ana said.

Moira hummed. “Gabriel has the same problem. I can't take him anywhere.”

“I’ve seen how he dresses himself. I don't think it's just the mask,” Ana said. Moira laughed – another good day, it seemed. They seemed to be a common occurrence here in Oasis. Years ago – before Venice, before Egypt – there had always been more bad days than good, even if Moira had tried not to let it show, always too proud to let people know when she was troubled. But Moira never could forgive what Overwatch had done to her career, and even the flexible rules of Blackwatch had held her back too much to her liking. It was bittersweet to see her happy now with world falling to another crisis with Moira having the best seats in the house because of her involvement with Talon. But Moira wasn’t interested in any of that, only the progress Talon could help her make, no matter who got hurt. Moira had never been unclear about her lack of interest in rules and morals, but Ana hadn’t understood just how far she was willing to go for scientific progress until now.

What troublesome people Ana had come to care about in her life. Jack was fighting a pointless war with no plans for what would come after the fighting was over, and Gabriel… Who knew what Gabriel was after. Ana had tried to ask Moira, but Moira never gave her an answer. Ana wasn’t sure even Moira knew.

Like Moira, Gabriel had done things that Ana knew shouldn’t be forgiven, but even now – maybe out of foolishness of old age – she hoped neither of them were completely lost yet.

“Does Morrison never ask where you go in the evenings?” Moira asked.

“I just tell him I have a knitting class,” Ana said.

Moira scoffed. “A passable excuse for a woman your age.”

“He doesn't ask because I don't ask him where he disappears off to some nights.” Jack didn’t talk to Ana the way he used to, and Ana had noticed quickly enough there wasn’t much point in trying to get him to talk when he didn’t want to. Ana could understand needing time, but she also knew carrying the weight of regrets was a heavy burden to carry alone.

“Curious how his disappearances seem to concede with those of Gabriel's, isn’t it?” Moira said. Because of Talon's strong presence in Oasis, Ana had suspected Jack was looking for Gabriel – or Reaper as he called himself these days – whenever he went off on his own, but Moira had all but confirmed it, always noting Gabriel's absence whenever Ana said she wasn't sure where Jack was.

“They never were as good at keeping secrets as they like to believe they are,” Ana said. What exactly did they do during those time was harder to imagine. Ana couldn't imagine them talking things out like grown men they were: it had never been their strong suit. But then, she knew Jack missed Gabriel and perhaps Gabriel missed Jack, too. Maybe despite everything, they were able to share moments like the ones Ana had shared with Moira every night since coming to Oasis.

Ana missed the happier days when everything had seemed possible if only the three of them were together.

Moira nudged her shoulder against Ana’s, interrupting Ana thoughts. Moira was smiling with a spark in her eyes. “Well, they aren't the only ones keeping secrets.”

Ana couldn't help but smile as well, tightening her hold on Moira's hand. “That's true.”

Their reunion hadn't been all smiles and holding hands. Neither of them had understood the choices the other had made – Ana Moira's choice to join Talon, and Moira Ana's choice to not come back from Egypt. Moira's resentment for being “left behind” had felt particularly rich when Ana knew Moira had been the one to make Amélie Lacroix into a weapon for Talon.

It hadn't been easy to listen to Moira's explanations. Everything always came back to science – for Moira, there was no sacrifice too great if it was done in the name of science. Except, apparently, Ana's “death”. Moira insisted she hadn't known about the mission in Egypt and even if she had been with Talon she had never wanted Ana to get hurt. Just like Moira not to realize simply joining and staying with Talon had hurt enough. For someone so brilliant, Moira always had been a fool.

Moira saying she still cared about Ana had been far from enough for Ana to give Moira a second chance. For the sake of what they once were Ana had given Moira a chance to explain, but “scientific progress” had never been enough of an explanation for Ana like it was for Moira. But as it turned out, it wasn’t the only reason why Moira had joined Talon.

Moira had never been loyal to any organization or a cause – she picked her side based who could give her the funding and freedom to do her research as she liked. However, as long Ana had known Moira, she had been loyal to Gabriel. For Moira the job in Blackwatch hadn’t been only a job, it had been a lifeline, and Gabriel giving her a chance had meant more to Moira than many would've thought. What Ana hadn’t known back then was that Moira and Gabriel had made a deal: Moira would be allowed to do her research under flexible rule, and in turn Moira would find a cure to the condition SEP had caused Gabriel decades ago.

After Moira had been forced to leave Blackwatch following the Venice incident, she had reached out to Talon almost immediately, so she could continue treating Gabriel – even if Gabriel himself had been against the decision. Even after the explosion of the Swiss base Moira had been sure Gabriel had survived and so she had stayed with Talon and waited. Six years later Moira had finally been able to continue her work.

It shouldn’t have mattered. It didn’t erase the suffering Talon had caused, it didn’t erase the things Moira – or Gabriel – had done, but when Moira had told Ana she was trying to cure Gabriel, Ana had felt  _hope_. Because despite everything, after so many losses in her life the possibility that Moira and Gabriel weren’t lost to her meant more than she could say _._

“Jack and I won't stay here for much longer,” Ana said eventually. The faint smile that had remained on Moira’s face faded and was replaced by a frown.

“That’s a shame,” Moira said. “Ziggy will miss you.”

Ana chuckled. “I will miss him, too. And Suzi, of course.”

“Where will you be headed?” Moira asked.

“I don't think I should reveal that to an enemy operative.”

Moira glanced at Ana before turning to look at the lake before them. Moira didn’t take Ana leaving well these days. She never said it with so many words, but it was obvious Ana not coming back from Egypt had left its mark. Moira always seemed so relieved whenever Ana came to the gardens that they had made their meeting spot. Ana never giving the details of what she was doing and where didn’t help, but as an agent of Talon Moira couldn’t complain.

Surprisingly, when Moira looked back to Ana there was a cheeky smile on her face. “Then where will I send all my letters?”

Ana couldn't help but laugh. Moira had used to send Ana hand-written letters when they were stationed in different bases for longer periods of time. Well-read as Moira was, the letters had always been full of quotes and even poetry and Ana had always laughed at the corniness of them. But because Moira often didn’t have a very good time outside of her lab, the letters had always included complaints about being dragged to field missions and naming all the agents who had irritated her recently for whatever reason. Even then, receiving the letters had always cheered Ana up.

“If I wanted to read purple prose I'd go to the library,” Ana said earning a chuckle from Moira. “I wonder if the letters you sent me are still somewhere.”

“I have them,” Moira said. “After they announced you KIA, they emptied your apartment. Gabriel found the letters and gave them to me.” Moira paused, smile tightening. Even now, Moira had trouble talking about the time after Ana had been shot in Egypt. Quickly, likely to get away from subject, she added: “I think one is missing though.”

Ana smiled and said: “ _How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss and ah, how old my heart._ ”

Moira looked surprised. “You have it?”

“I found it from an abandoned base in Giza a couple of years ago,” Ana said.

“And you kept it,” Moira said, smiling.

Ana almost hadn't. When she had found the old letter, she had only recently found out about Moira's connection to Talon from Sombra, someone Ana knew not to trust to be on her side but whose information was always true. After Sombra had told Ana about how Moira had made Amélie Lacroix into Widowmaker, Ana had been sure Moira no longer was the person Ana had once fallen in love with. Still, she had took the letter with her even if back then it had been just a memento of a person she didn't think existed anymore.

Of course, life was never that simple.

“Sometimes I like to read it and laugh at how dramatic you were about having turned 40,” Ana said, keeping her thoughts to herself. Moira hmphed but her smile didn't falter. Ana eyed Moira for a moment before saying: “I think I might want to have the rest of those letters back.”

Moira's smile turned into a smirk. “We could go to my flat and I could give them to you right now.”

“Tempting, but I won’t stay for long,” Ana said even if another night at Moira's apartment would've been a heaven sent. In her age, sleeping in an actual bed after the illegal activities she spent her days on was something she would’ve liked to do much more often. Not that sleeping was the only thing they had done in Moira’s apartment during Ana’s time in Oasis. “When I said we’re leaving Oasis soon, I meant tonight.”

Moira's smile fell, Ana saying she would be leaving hitting Moira hard as ever as if every time might be the last time they see each other.

“Then I suppose this is a goodbye, for now,” Moira said, voice calm even if the furrow of her brow and her lips tightening into a line told a different story.

Every time Ana left, Moira would say ‘goodbye’. Even if Ana told her they’d see each other again, Moira never seemed to believe it. Moira was aware these encounters didn't mean all she had done had been forgiven. To Moira, Ana leaving and not coming back seemed to be an inevitability.

Sometimes Ana wanted to assure Moira it wasn't true, but she wasn't sure she could.

Moira pulled away her hand from Ana's grasp and turned to look behind them. She whistled to gain the attention of Ziggy and Suzi who had been playing in the gardens. Both dogs came running their way, Suzi going to Moira, but Ziggy came to Ana instead. Ana let out a laugh as she patted Ziggy's head. Moira scoffed. “Sorry to disappoint you, Ziggy, but you're coming with me. Ana is leaving.”

“Jack and I could use a guard dog,” Ana said as Moira kneeled to attach leashes on Ziggy’s and Suzi’s collars.

“I think Ziggy is a little too old for that,” Moira noted.

“He'd fit right in then,” Ana said. Moira stood up, immediately having to pull on the leash when Suzi got ready to rush off. Ana smiled before turning to look up at Moira. “Let’s not bother with goodbyes. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon enough.”

Moira gave Ana a blank look. Soon she averted her eyes and fished a pack of cigarettes out of her coat pocket with her free hand. She put one of the cigarettes in her mouth and pulled out a lighter from her pocket after having put the cigarette pack back.

After lighting the cigarette and taking a drag on it, Moira turned to look at Ana and said: “ _If you're not too long, I will wait for you all my life_.”

Ana sighed – Moira always found new ways to avoid difficult subjects. “You think you're so charming, don't you?”

“You love it,” Moira said, smirking again. She wasn't entirely wrong. Moira took another drag on her cigarette and said: “Try to stay alive.”

“I don't die easily, despite the universe’s best efforts to end my days,” Ana said.

“Evidently.”

“Try to not cause _too_  much trouble while I'm gone,” Ana told Moira in turn.

“No promises,” Moira said with a playful tone.

Ana shook her head and sighed. Not for the first time, Ana said: “You should get out of this fight.”

“I've made my choices, Ana. I don't regret them,” Moira said just like she always did, but seemingly with less conviction each time. Maybe that was just wistful thinking on Ana's part.

“You can't do science if you're dead,” Ana noted.

Moira chuckled. “And you can't lecture me if you are dead. Maybe it should be you retiring from the fight.”

“I would love to but unfortunately I never did put enough into my 401k,” Ana said.

“I keep telling you, what I have would be plenty enough for both of us,” Moira said, her unconcerned tone unconvincing. It wasn't unclear to Ana that in part Moira had always been serious about the offer. On the surface it was a nice thought. In a different world, Ana knew she would’ve enjoyed spending her retirement days in Oasis with Moira.

“I'm sure a life as a minister's spouse is full of perks but me drinking margaritas in a cabana on the beach won't keep the people I care about safe,” Ana said. Moira inhaled, mostly successful in keeping her face indifferent.

“You never change,” Moira said quietly.

“You'd be disappointed if I did,” Ana said.

“I would,” Moira admitted. She stubbed her cigarette – barely half-way finished – and threw it away. She took a step closer, moving her free hand to Ana's cheek and leaned down to press a soft kiss on Ana's lips. After pulling away, she pressed their foreheads together and after a moment of hesitation said: “Until we meet again.”

Ana couldn't help but smile as she watched Moira leave. For once they were parting not with a goodbye but a promise. Their relationship was a complicated one and the hardest times were likely still ahead, but before then, maybe they could allow themselves a few more sentimental memories.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Twitter: happyanpan  
> Tumblr: oliviac0lomar


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